The Odyssey Books 1-4: Notes Essay

Telemachos has not seen his father since he was just a baby. He has had to grow up and live the first Twenty years of his life with out a father. Through these years Telemachos grows and develops a lot but I think the most growing when he begins to look for Odysseus.

Quotation: Telemachus started a journey to find his father Odysseus because Ithaca was about suffering from an over flood of suitors desperate to rule the kingdom. So Telemachus sets a quest to find Odysseus so he can restore the kingdom back to its original condition.

Still he searches out for clues and any information of the possible demise of his father. He is willing to go far and wide just for the knowledge of his father's whereabouts. He is a faithful son and aids his father in all possible ways as Odysseus returns and reclaims what is legitimately his. Telemachus is there to fight side by side with his father whom he has only loved in his heart and mind. Some would call that blind faith. Just as the God whom we serve today calls us to love and serve him without seeing him with our eyes, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed" (John 20:29). Although Odysseus is Telemachus' earthly father, one can see the parallels. He is as devoted to Odysseus as Penelope is; yet he has no actual memory of his father what so ever.

Telemachus, in the Odyssey by Homer, is a young man who has disregarded his responsibilities as a god and son. He is to take on the land that his father, Odysseus, left behind when he supposedly died after the journey back from the Trojan War. He learns later on that his father may not even be dead, and that he may be captured by the people of Calypso. Soon as he hears the news, Telemachus begins to recognize his obligation and then accepts the qualities it takes to become a hero that the people of Ithaca and other countries are looking for. He also learns about gaining respect from these countries takes treating others with admiration. Close to the end of Book IV, the audience sees a character who has taking initiative in his life, shifting towards maturity, and

There are a hundred grown men in his house trying to win his mother’s hand in marriage after his father had not returned for seven years. Telemachus shows courage by speaking to the suitors in a commanding tone and telling them to leave. They are disrespecting his father, Odysseus, by living in his house and eating all of their food. His father was very courageous in the battle of Troy and is well respected for his courageousness. However, the suitors do not respect Telemachus and see him only as a boy but he commands them to do so anyway.

This is the first time Telemachus shows that he is able to do that by standing up to the suitors and protecting what he cares about. Although Telemachus was able to go up against the suitors he is still not a fully brave man yet. He has his insecurities and a reserved personality. He presents this when he sets sail with Athena and arrives at Nestor's castle. Athena urges Telemachus to let go of his

He undergoes trials as a young man that help awaken who he is and has been this whole time and what he is capable of. Within the first four books alone, the reader can see who Telemachus is as a man and son of Odysseus and what little he has done to live up to his family’s name – specifically his father’s. In Book I, Athena comes to Telemachus disguised as Mentes, son of Anchíalus, to aid him in setting out on a quest to finding his very alive father, reassuring him that Odysseus is alive and may be on an island somewhere. In Mentes/Athena’s advice, she also tells Telemachus that she is a friend of his father’s and how Telemachus physically resembles his father, but does not make a move to comment on the kind of man he has become. This is the first instance, among the many in the first book, where the reader is able to see what little Telemachus has done and believes he is capable doing while living in the shadow of the father he has never

Homer, in his epic The Odyssey shows, Telemachus, son of the great Odysseus on a journey to manhood, honoring the greek value of revenge and showing appreciation and pride as he protects his father’s honor. In order to be considered a real man in traditional Greek culture, one must have complete confidence in one’s identity and uphold one’s status with strength and dignity. Telemachus is becoming a man, but finds himself lost in the dark, due to his father being away at war for his entire life. Therefore, he has had no guidance on how to become a man of worth and values. When Telemachus is first introduced, the reader may perceive him as a passive middle age man with no sense of authority.

He couldn't have know his father, a true man, would be gone so long, yet he begins to find his way in the “Telemachia” of the Odyssey by Homer. The disrespectful behavior and boorish characteristics of the suitors provide a critical contrast to the ideal Greek values of “xenia”, good public speaking , and respect for the elders and superiors that Telemachus develops throughout the epic as he travels to Pylos and Sparta. Telemachus learns to encompass the true Greek values of man through meeting with highly respected kings like King Nestor and King Menelaus, and learning from the inadequate behavior of the suitors.

Throughout his experiences in The Odyssey, Telemachus transitions from a weak young man into a courageous and brave adult. In the beginning of the story, Telemachus is grieving the loss of his father and the unfair way his mother is being

This statement is very telling as it defines not only the appearance of the great Odysseus, but also the son he left behind. Furthermore, it begins to develop a timeline of actions by announcing that Odysseus left home when Telemachus was only a baby. Nestor recognizes that Odysseus ' appearance, vivacity, and personality are apparent in his progeny, Telemachus. This is encouraging to Telemachus as he hears that he resembles the great king Odysseus. As Telemachus presses for news of what has become of his father, Telemachus learns that his father may yet be alive and held captive by a goddess-nymph named Calypso. He then glorifies the strong will of Orestes and encourages Telemachus to do the same: "And you, my friend - / how tall and handsome I see you now - be brave, you too, / so men to come will sing your praises down the years." (3, 226 - 227).

To this, Telemachus replies, “... do not keep me here on a lengthy visit. It is true that your tales and talk so delight me that I could easily stop with you for a year and never feel homesick for Ithaca or my parents. But my friends must already be waiting for me in sacred Pylos; and now you prolong my stay” (4.592-600). Despite the opportunity to relax in Sparta and not face the problems that plague Ithaca, Telemachus decides to continue on with his difficult journey in hopes of finding his father. His maturity is displayed in his refusal to take the easy route, and instead choose the more difficult path. This maturity has helped Telemachus please Athene and make friends with both Kind Nestor and King Menelaus, the latter of which provides an expensive gift for Telemachus. Also, this new wisdom Telemachus has also may help him come up with a plan to rid Ithaca of the suitors. All in all, Telemachus’s gain of respect and maturity on his journey can help him find his father, make new connections, and drive out the suitors from

He is now a strong young man ready to stand beside his father in battle and fight. The loyal nurse Eurycleia tells Odysseus after the killings of the suitors “Telemachus has only now become a man,” (Homer 443) which lets readers realize that Telemachus is changed. He wasn’t always a man. However, after standing with his father and fighting he is now deemed a man by Eurycleia. Another example of Telemachus’ growth at the end of the poem would be when readers see Telemachus is not afraid to own up to his mistakes. After the suitors find armor and Odysseus thinks that the women servants are sabotaging them, Telemachus speaks up and says, “It’s my fault, Father, and no one else’s. I must have left the storeroom door open” (Homer 436). He proves that he has indeed matured into a man. Telemachus even wants to prove himself to his father and grandfather toward the end of The Odyssey. “I don’t think you’ll see me shaming my ancestors, as you put it Father” (Homer 465). He’s ready to fight and stand beside Odysseus once again in

In The Odyssey, the code of hospitality is stressed tremendously. During the Ancient Greek times, hospitality meant a lot more than doing small, simple things for your guest. The word Xenia, which meant ritual hospitality, was an word that these people had. With Hospitality being one of the ground rules of ancient Greek society, The relationship between the guest and host was made much more significant. The host would be responsible for providing food and shelter and even money if necessary, no matter who the guest to their house was. The people who followed the code, helped everyone they could; no matter the situation. The people who didn’t honor the code,

Through his journey to Pylos and Sparta, Telemachus, who was born into a very privileged and high ranking family, learns how to use his inherited social status and connections for his own interests, which will help him mature into manhood. Telemachus was never old enough to remember what it was like when his father was around. Since Odysseus left, he has lived with his mom and nurse. However, for three years, he has been overwhelmed by suitors, who have taken over his house. Odysseus was never able to show Telemachus how to stand up for himself. Telemachus has been less than passive when going about doing things to get what he wants. When Athena comes and tells him that his father is going to come home, he realizes he has been ignoring what he knows is wrong, such as the suitors throwing parties every night, and that he needs to stop them. He doesn’t have any idea of how he is going to find his father when Athena comes, but he along his way finds that he has many resources and connections at hand that will allow him to find out what happened to his dad. Athena, disguised as Mentor, an old friend of Odysseus, encourages Telemachus to talk to Nestor. "Telemachus, no more shyness, this is not the time!/ We sailed the seas for this, for news of your father —// So go right up to Nestor...// Press him yourself to tell the whole truth:/ he'll never lie — the man is far too wise"(3.16-22) Here, Athena is encouraging Telemachus to be assertive, to get what the needs to know to find his father. Telemachus responds, "How can I greet him, Mentor, even approach the king?/ I'm hardly adept at subtle conversation./ Someone my age might feel shy, what's more,/ interrogating an older man."/ (3.23-27) He is intimidated. The irony is that he himself is of the higher class, and if Odysseus had been home, he would be accustomed to these interactions. This is Odysseus learning that he has high social status and can enjoy the privileges he was born with, such as being able to talk to the king. While there, Telemachus learns of the fate of the family of Agamemnon. Agamemnon came home to find his wife in love with Aegisthus, and together they kill him. Orestes, one of Agamemnon’s sons, avenges his father’s murder and kills